Russia Octagonal Silver Award Medal 1793 - Free Economic Society "For Usefulness" - Catherine II (1762-1796)
13.66g. 34mm. XF/XF-. Obv.: Bust of Catherine II facing right, wearing a crown, signature at the bottom: "В • Т • I • 1793 . Г." (Engraved by T. Ivanov, 1793). Rev.: Depiction of a bee landing on a rose bush, with a beehive on the right; in the lower right corner, the initial "Ю" (Yudin). Medaliers: T. Ivanov, S. Yudin. Diakov 234.1 Ar R1. Despite the relatively common occurrence of the medal, this variety of the obverse die is extremely rare and usually found on copper novodels. The Free Economic Society was established in 1765 at the initiative of Empress Catherine II. The society's mission was to disseminate practical and essential knowledge related to agriculture and domestic management among the populace, to study the condition of Russian agriculture and the economic life of the country, as well as to assess the state of agricultural technology in Western Europe. Empress Catherine II honored the society by granting it her personal emblem. In a letter to Voltaire, she explained the meaning behind it: "My motto is a bee, which, flying from flower to flower, gathers honey to bring it to the hive, and the accompanying inscription reads 'Useful'." This emblem was placed on the reverse side of octagonal tokens, which served as attendance markers for society members at meetings.